If you will be under 18 in Australia

You must either:

nominate a student guardian. Nominate a parent, legal custodian or relative over 21 years of age as your student guardian. This person must have a visa to stay in Australia for the duration of your student visa or until you turn 18. You must attach a completedForm 157N Nomination of a student guardian to your application. If your nominated guardian is applying for a student guardian (subclass TU-590) visa, both applications should be made at the same time, or

arrange a Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW). Unless you are a secondary exchange student or a Foreign Affairs or Defence student, organise for your education provider to approve your welfare arrangements. Your education provider will issue a CAAW and advise us of your welfare arrangements start and end date, or

provide your Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Student (AASES) form if you are a secondary exchange student. Attach a signed copy of the CAAW to the student visa application, or

organise approval of your welfare arrangements from the relevant Minister, if you are a Foreign Affairs or Defence student

Minimum length of welfare arrangements

You must have welfare arrangements in place until you turn 18, even if you turn 18 before your course starts.

You must not enter Australia before your welfare arrangements start. This is a condition of your visa. If you breach your visa conditions, we might cancel your visa. You must not travel to Australia until your welfare arrangements start and you must not change your arrangements without the written approval of your education provider.

If your education provider approves your welfare arrangements, the minimum period on the Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW) letter must be:

If we grant your visa, we will consider the dates of your welfare arrangements when considering the visa period.

Enrolling with more than one provider

If you are enrolled in 2 or more courses with more than 1 provider, you must show us you have organised continuous welfare arrangements. If the education providers are approving your welfare arrangements, there cannot be a welfare gap in the dates your providers have nominated.

Student visa applications made in Australia

If you are applying for a student visa while you are in Australia, you still need to show you have welfare arrangements in place when you lodge your student visa application. Your application must have this information to be valid.

The welfare arrangements must start:

the day after your current visa expires, or

before or on the date you lodge your new student visa application

Alternative welfare arrangements

You can't change your welfare arrangements without our approval.

If you have a student guardian and they need to leave Australia while you stay here, you must make alternative welfare arrangements.

Your student guardian must provide evidence:

there is a compelling or compassionate reason for their travel

they have made alternative welfare arrangements for your accommodation, general welfare and support until they return

Request approval of alternative welfare arrangements

Your student guardian can nominate another student guardian. This person must be (except in limited situations) a parent or relative aged 21 years or over. Before your student guardian leaves Australia, they need to send to our nearest office: